Asia calling

on 5 February 2010

Since I was a little girl, I have always had a fascination with orthodontics. The satisfaction of being able to correct someone’s face through their smile is incredibly rewarding. By altering the alignment of someone’s jaw – or just subtly adjusting their bite – you can completely transform their appearance which can really have an impact on their quality of life.

I juggle my time between running a successful clinic in Bangkok, launching the Phuket operation and travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia every month where I consult for private corporate clients. I was born in Bangkok and left Thailand to study orthodontics at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, USA, specialising in craniofacial procedures.

When I graduated in 1994, my desire to return to Asia led me to secure a position at a small private hospital – the Bangkok nursing home – where I was eventually appointed full-time director of the dental department. In 2000, I decided to open my own dental clinic – DC One – offering a full spectrum of state-of-the art mainstream and cosmetic dentistry, and I quickly scooped Bangkok’s elite onto my client list. The practice now serves wealthy Thai society, the high profile ex-pat business community and their families, as well as members of the US, Canadian and several European embassies, who use the clinic as a regional centre for any of their personnel requiring dental care.

New waveThe quality of care has also attracted many visitors to Bangkok, and DC One is pioneering a new wave of ‘dental tourism’ – complementing the medi-tourism revolution to Thailand. Recognising the inimitable combination of cutting-edge technology, high standards and great value for money, consumer demand has established Bangkok – and indeed Thailand – as a centre of medical excellence, and I’d like to think that DC One is leading the way in dental care.The recently opened Phuket operation is aimed directly at travellers to the destination. The aim is to enable holidaymakers to combine treatment, that would be unavailable or expensive at home, with a holiday in one of Asia’s premier destinations – home to some of the most exclusive resorts in the region.

The increasing interest and demand for this type of treatment makes it, I hope, a perfect complement to any resort-based spa break. DC One Med Spa incorporates a wellbeing centre and skin clinic offering world-class non-invasive dermatological procedures which work alongside the dental care, making technical procedures highly accessible and offering wonderful surroundings and fabulous hotels in which to recuperate post-treatment.

NurtureI am very active within International SOS, a consultancy network which provides medical assistance and healthcare to clients around the world. I travel every month to Cambodia and Vietnam and nurture this side of the business – a strategic partnership which I find particularly rewarding, as it allows me to share know-ledge with my team on the ground in each location.